How old is too old for a decent physique?
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Regardless of age you can always make you a better you.
For the record I'm 35 and I will hit the 3 year mark in September. Started around 200lb and skinny fat.
I'm 165lb and definitely skinny fat. I'm thinking the BF% method I'm using is underestimating, because I was expecting to be much leaner than I am at allegedly sub-20% BF. I guess that's what got me thinking this morning and I stood in front of the mirror with a handful of gut fat.
Perhaps I'll put some photos up on the BF% estimation threads and get your opinions. It's going to be hard going back up a few points though!
On this image, I'd say I resemble the 25% guy, not the 20% guy -
I'm using an bio electric scale. It has me at around 18-19%. I think that's fairly accurate from your pics0 -
I really hesitated to post here, since I have no delusions that I'm anywhere near as fit as most folks in this group.
With that said, I decided to post because I'm a REALLY old guy who finally got tired of making excuses for my ever increasing weight. I"m 55 years old. I'm 5'7" tall. In October 2011, my starting weight was 235lbs . I had a 41" waist. Over the last 18 months, I have worked out 6 days/week and (generally) stuck to a 2000-2100cal/day regimen (50%c, 30%p, 20%f). As of today, I weigh 183 with a BF% right around 20%. My waist is 33". I'm thinking that a goal weight of 170-175lbs will probably be about right for me.
I love working out and running, but I'd guess that 80% of my weight loss and body shape change was based on my changes in diet. Have a couple pics in my profile for reference (and laughs!).
I'm also competitive by nature, so we picked specific events to train for as a way to help me focus my efforts. For example, my profile pic was taken after the Tough Mudder event last July at Mt Snow in Vermont. Ten miles of sweat and pain that was a lot of fun. (I'm the old fart in the middle). This year, I'm training for a half marathon and perhaps a sprint distance triathlon. I know I can't keep up with the 35 year old pups, but I'm gonna give those younger 50 yr olds a run for their money, lol.0 -
I just turned 40 a couple days ago....and started lifting again...I WILL have the physique I want!0
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I sure hope it's possible. I'm 43 and this past Christmas weighed in at around 320lbs (I'm 6'3.) I'd been there before and dieted down to under 300, and inevitably put it back on. The last time I was on a really good kick in late 2011 I got to 285 and hurt my knee, which prevented me from running which was how I'd lost that weight to start with. That and losing my job was depressing as hell, which inevitably led to Christmas.
For whatever reason, this was the time that the switch flipped in my head and I said "ENOUGH" and really took a hard look at myself, how I was eating, what situations I was putting myself into that led to overeating or drinking and what I had to do to take control. I started logging everything here and weighing my food so I'd have a better idea of what a proper portion was. I also purposely experiment and said "if this is what normally fills me up, how do I feel if I eat half of it?" Turns out it filled me up just as much as the bigger portion. About this time I also read Tim Ferriss' The Four Hour Body and decided to give the Slow Carb diet a try. It is essentially Paleo with beans added in.
I have always enjoyed lifting and running, but running has always been what kickstarted my weight loss so I started there, did Couch to 5k and ran my first 5k in March and have run two more since. I also started lifting again and decided to do full-body routines in the interest of time and lift heavy (5x5) just because I'd never really done it before.
When I added lifting I was around 285. Lost my mojo on diet and got back up to 299, but am back down to 295 and plan to be around 285 by the time I do my next 5k in June.
My end goal is to post a picture like SideSteel's or any number of other guys here. I literally have never seen my ab muscles. EVER. And I've been a jock my entire life, just one who always carried around a paunch. Even when I played competitive soccer!
So I guess to wrap up this rant, I sure as hell HOPE it's possible. Because I'm not stopping until I get there.0 -
Hi! Just another anecdote.
My mom is 48 and she has a little 4 pack thing going on! She looks GREAT! She never was as overweight as I was, but I'd say about 50 lbs overweight, on and off, gaining, losing, gaining over the years and through 4 pregnancies, being a working mom, her husband getting cancer, then being a widowed single mom. She really started her whole getting fit thing around age 44 I'd guess. She doesn't lift, but she does TRX, which to me seems to be a pretty intense resistance program. And she does cardio.
To me, there's no doubt that I can get to the body fat percent I want (assuming I put in the work diet-wise), I'm just not so sure if my skin will ever be 100%. It's not bad now though IMO.
Good luck!
I keep editing to add stuff. The female version of those body fat % pics always throws me off (like this one http://forums.steroid.com/attachments/nutrition-resource-forum/127648d1349916171-body-fat-percentage-pics-men-women-body-fat-percentage-women.jpg). Because even the higher percentages have their fat all smooth and pretty looking not all lumpy lol. kwim? Like, I wish I looked that great at 35% !!!! I think it's hard for people to accurately judge their own BF% by comparing to others. 0 -
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I'll turn 46 on Saturday. About a year and a half ago I was at 210 lb and needing to buy new trousers, as my 34's were all too small. I lost 40 lb, and now I've had to buy 30 inch waists instead! I started out with mainly cardio, then added a dumbbell weight program. I've really only just started to lift a barbell. I never had upper body strength (I was a runner), but I have a little now, and think I look the best I have ever looked! Pics in my profile are from October of last year when I was starting to get happy with how I looked. I'm not quite there yet, but still heading in the right direction!0
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I'll turn 46 on Saturday. About a year and a half ago I was at 210 lb and needing to buy new trousers, as my 34's were all too small. I lost 40 lb, and now I've had to buy 30 inch waists instead! I started out with mainly cardio, then added a dumbbell weight program. I've really only just started to lift a barbell. I never had upper body strength (I was a runner), but I have a little now, and think I look the best I have ever looked! Pics in my profile are from October of last year when I was starting to get happy with how I looked. I'm not quite there yet, but still heading in the right direction!
Nice job dude. I went from having to buy 35" pants to being a comfortable 33. Going from 34 to 30 is nuts. Congrats0 -
I'll turn 46 on Saturday. About a year and a half ago I was at 210 lb and needing to buy new trousers, as my 34's were all too small. I lost 40 lb, and now I've had to buy 30 inch waists instead! I started out with mainly cardio, then added a dumbbell weight program. I've really only just started to lift a barbell. I never had upper body strength (I was a runner), but I have a little now, and think I look the best I have ever looked! Pics in my profile are from October of last year when I was starting to get happy with how I looked. I'm not quite there yet, but still heading in the right direction!
What you will find is that the heavy weightlifting actually helps with the running quite a bit. I've only been lifting for two months (after a year long layoff) and have knocked a minute off my 5k times for 3 consecutive races all at roughly the same weight. My goal for the next one is actually to lose about 5-10 lbs and see what kind of difference that makes.0 -
I'm an avid heavy lifter but still find jogging a real hard thing to do. but I've been getting better. 3 miles was impossible before. Once I could do it, my times were 35 min+. Now I can consistently knock 3 miles in less than 30 min.
but my legs are still pretty tired at the end of only 3 miles0 -
I'll turn 46 on Saturday. About a year and a half ago I was at 210 lb and needing to buy new trousers, as my 34's were all too small. I lost 40 lb, and now I've had to buy 30 inch waists instead! I started out with mainly cardio, then added a dumbbell weight program. I've really only just started to lift a barbell. I never had upper body strength (I was a runner), but I have a little now, and think I look the best I have ever looked! Pics in my profile are from October of last year when I was starting to get happy with how I looked. I'm not quite there yet, but still heading in the right direction!
Nice job dude. I went from having to buy 35" pants to being a comfortable 33. Going from 34 to 30 is nuts. Congrats
Thanks! It's been 20 years since I was last in a 30". Feels good :-)0 -
I'll turn 46 on Saturday. About a year and a half ago I was at 210 lb and needing to buy new trousers, as my 34's were all too small. I lost 40 lb, and now I've had to buy 30 inch waists instead! I started out with mainly cardio, then added a dumbbell weight program. I've really only just started to lift a barbell. I never had upper body strength (I was a runner), but I have a little now, and think I look the best I have ever looked! Pics in my profile are from October of last year when I was starting to get happy with how I looked. I'm not quite there yet, but still heading in the right direction!
What you will find is that the heavy weightlifting actually helps with the running quite a bit. I've only been lifting for two months (after a year long layoff) and have knocked a minute off my 5k times for 3 consecutive races all at roughly the same weight. My goal for the next one is actually to lose about 5-10 lbs and see what kind of difference that makes.
I'm just running now for fun - not got any races planned. I might enter some 5 or 10 ks later this year though, just to see how I do! I do about 7 miles in an hour right now. I have a strained bicep at the moment, so I'm going to be running a bit more for the next few weeks before I hit the weights again.0 -
I'll turn 51 in a few months. Just over a year ago, I was 263 lbs. and wearing 40-42 in. waist pants. I'm now 216 lbs. and wearing a 36 in. waist - have lost about 12% bodyfat (~30% to ~18%). I don't have the muscle mass of Sidesteel and/or some of the other guys in this thread, but my physique looks better than it has in over 20 years.
My routine has been mostly strength training with a bit of light cardio sprinkled in here and there (mostly walking/jogging and recumbent stationary bike), eating 2200-2400 calories/day (with plenty of cheat/re-feed days thrown in there and an IIFYM approach to eating).0 -
Ernestine is a 75-year-old bodybuilder and was in her 50s when she started training:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/06/12/fitness-ernestine-shepherd-oldest-bodybuilder_n_1589092.html
Also:
http://spotmebro.com/5-badass-bodybuilders-over-70-years-old/
At 35, you're in the prime of your life, so why not look the part? Any day you wait, it will be more difficult.0 -
I'll turn 46 on Saturday. About a year and a half ago I was at 210 lb and needing to buy new trousers, as my 34's were all too small. I lost 40 lb, and now I've had to buy 30 inch waists instead! I started out with mainly cardio, then added a dumbbell weight program. I've really only just started to lift a barbell. I never had upper body strength (I was a runner), but I have a little now, and think I look the best I have ever looked! Pics in my profile are from October of last year when I was starting to get happy with how I looked. I'm not quite there yet, but still heading in the right direction!
Nice job dude. I went from having to buy 35" pants to being a comfortable 33. Going from 34 to 30 is nuts. Congrats
Thanks! It's been 20 years since I was last in a 30". Feels good :-)
Damn...I wish I could be in 30s....I'm at a loose 34 right now...could probably go to 33, but I don't like buying jeans all over again.
That's badass!0 -
I'll turn 46 on Saturday. About a year and a half ago I was at 210 lb and needing to buy new trousers, as my 34's were all too small. I lost 40 lb, and now I've had to buy 30 inch waists instead! I started out with mainly cardio, then added a dumbbell weight program. I've really only just started to lift a barbell. I never had upper body strength (I was a runner), but I have a little now, and think I look the best I have ever looked! Pics in my profile are from October of last year when I was starting to get happy with how I looked. I'm not quite there yet, but still heading in the right direction!
What you will find is that the heavy weightlifting actually helps with the running quite a bit. I've only been lifting for two months (after a year long layoff) and have knocked a minute off my 5k times for 3 consecutive races all at roughly the same weight. My goal for the next one is actually to lose about 5-10 lbs and see what kind of difference that makes.
I'm just running now for fun - not got any races planned. I might enter some 5 or 10 ks later this year though, just to see how I do! I do about 7 miles in an hour right now. I have a strained bicep at the moment, so I'm going to be running a bit more for the next few weeks before I hit the weights again.
I couldn't hold that pace for more than half a mile or so. Maybe next summer
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7 miles per hour is 3.5 miles in 30 min. I'm at 28.xxx for 3 miles. If I pushed it, I might be close. But I'd be a wreck for the next 3 miles. ie.. not able to complete. haha0
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I"m hoping the combination of more cardio mixed with strength training will help me get down another 10lbs or so to fit in 31 inch waist pants, assuming I keep calories in check. Haven't been that low since high school.
Since April, I've been following a half marathon training program for my cardio work.
The program has two days of "speed work" done on a track, coupled with standard recovery paced runs on the other days and one longer run each week. It seems to be helping my running times as well as endurance.
I've got a 7.1 mile race coming up next Sunday, so will get a chance to see how much improvement I can make. I'm shooting for under 64 minutes if the big *kitten* hill at mile 6 doesn't eat me alive. lol.0
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